The present invention generally relates to the field of communication, and particularly to preliminary communication identification.
With the increase of marketers utilizing direct communications, such as telemarketers, devices capable of identifying an incoming communication to enable a user to determine whether to accept a communication have become increasingly more popular. Previous methods of identification rely on specific information embedded in the signal to display information related to that call. For example, in a traditional xe2x80x9ccaller idxe2x80x9d method a second signal is embedded in the first signal to display where the call originated and the originating caller""s number. In another method, the data must be embedded within the signal to display the relevant identification data. There are numerous problems with these methods. First, the signal does not actually identify the originating caller, rather the signal identifies the source. Therefore, a user receiving a call cannot be certain as to who is actually calling them. Second, additional information must be embedded in the signal to even provide this information. Therefore, it would be useful to provide a method for preliminary communication identification wherein an embedded signal is not needed to identify the originating user and the actual user is identified, not simply where the call originated.
Typically, in a system of communication between a remote source and a local host, a connection is established before the transmission of data. For example, a connection may be initiated by a remote source transmitting a signal. The signal is received by the host after which the remote source and the host determine a common mode of operation. Determining a common mode of operation may include the process known as handshaking and negotiating protocols. After determining a common mode of operation, both the remote source and the host send signals, thereby actively communicating from the host to the remote source. Even if an identification system is utilized, both systems are already in contact. It is at this point, once both the remote source and the local host are aware of the connection that the communication of data is begun so as to enable identification data to be displayed. The signal may include caller identification information such as the originating source of the call and number to enable a user to determine whether to accept the call. Utilizing this method, a caller determines whether to accept the call based upon additional information contained in the data that identifies only the source of the call, and not the actual caller. Furthermore, the host is in contact with the remote source before identification data has been utilized so as to indicate to the remote source the reception of the signal by the host.
Additionally, technological advances have made possible the utilization of video images along with audio data for communication between two or more parties. Video conferencing equipment, video phones, and the like allow users to actually see the person as they communicate. The numerous benefits of these systems are readily apparent. However, as such systems become more common place, traditional methods of identification of the initiating party may prove inadequate. A user is unable to determine the actual identity of the initiating party without allowing the initiating party to know of the reception of the communication. Therefore, it may also prove useful to provide a system and method for preliminary communication identification wherein the signal is capable of being communicated without indicating to the remote source that the signal is being received.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for preliminary communication identification. The apparatus for preliminary communication identification includes a receiver for receiving a signal from a remote source and a communicator for communicating the received signal. The communicator is capable of communicating the received signal without indicating reception of the received signal to the remote source. The signal may include an image of a second user utilizing the remote source so as to enable a first user utilizing the apparatus to view the remote second user.
The present invention is further directed to a method for preliminary communication identification, which includes receiving a signal by a host system from a remote source and communicating the signal by the host. The signal may communicated without indicating reception of the signal by the host to the remote source.
In an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus and method may utilize the signal to preliminarily identify a communication. For example, instead of requiring the use of embedded data in a signal to display identification information, the actual signal may be communicated so a user may determine whether to accept the communication. In this way, a viewer may determine the actual content of a communication and not just the source of the communication. In another embodiment of the present invention, a standardized signal may be utilized for preliminary communication identification.